Outdoor learning center to open at Andrew

This fall, Andrew High School staff expect to open a new outdoor learning center to benefit students and the community.

A summary on the District 230 Foundation's website said the project will "allow teachers from all departments to connect their students to nature and provide opportunities for cross-curricular links."

The outdoor learning center will also have broader benefits, Foundation officials said.

"By providing the opportunity to develop a respect for nature as part of the educational experience, students will learn to be accountable and responsible for the environment," said a post on the website.

The District 230 Foundation provided grant money to launch the program, school officials said.

The new outdoor learning center is a converted space that was once an asphalt drop off lot, principal Bob Nolting said in an email.

Last year, the district tore out the asphalt and created a fenced-in grass area with a playground for the district's early childhood education program and a gazebo for an outdoor classroom, Nolting said.

The gazebo was designed and built by the school's maintenance team and their woodworking program, Nolting said.

Students in Andrew's science and woodworking classes installed planting areas for growing vegetables and another for prairie grasses also, Nolting said.

Natacia Campbell, Andrew's Division Chair for Science, Applied Technology, and Family and Consumer Sciences, described the outdoor learning center as a "multipurpose area" with options for numerous activities.

The center is south of the building, Campbell said.

Some of the school's teachers plan to use water collection barrels and composting to "get students more engaged in the environment" and ecology while also tapping into the benefits of the outdoor learning center, Campbell said.

The outdoor learning center is big enough for two full classes to be there at the same time, Campbell said.

It was open with limited access last year, but officials hope to use a more open scheduling system next year. It's not just for science classes, Campbell said.

A date has not been sent for the grand opening, but it will be after the school year starts.